3,000 Academics Voice Opposition to Israel Boycotts in Universities

Nearly 3,000 scholars have signed an open letter condemning academic boycotts of Israel, urging university officials to protect academic integrity from political influence. This letter, circulated by several higher education nonprofits, emerges in response to increasing demands from anti-Zionist students and faculty for universities to sever ties with Israel and support the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement.

Launched in 2005, the BDS campaign opposes Zionism and Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation-state, seeking to isolate Israel through comprehensive economic, political, and cultural boycotts. The campaign's academic boycott guidelines explicitly call for an end to projects with all Israeli academic institutions and outline specific restrictions, such as denying letters of recommendation to students aiming to study in Israel.

According to a November 2022 survey, a significant majority of Middle East scholars support boycotting Israel. The survey found that 91 percent of 500 experts from the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) and the American Political Science Association (APSA) endorse at least some boycotts of Israel.

The new letter argues that academic boycotts sanction discrimination against Israelis and undermine the university’s mission to foster viewpoint diversity. “Pressure from anti-Israel protests and the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement has already led to pervasive exclusion of Israeli scientists and students,” it states. The letter highlights testimonies from over 60 Israeli academics reporting an "unprecedented global boycott," including canceled lecture invitations, rejection of scientific papers on political grounds, frozen research collaborations, disrupted guest lectures, and withdrawn co-authorships.

The letter calls on faculty-facing organizations, such as the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), the National Conference of University Professors (NCUP), and the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV), to denounce these trends and uphold the principles of academic freedom.

Prominent universities, including Yale University, Columbia University, University of Maryland, Stanford University, and Northwestern University, have professors who have signed the letter. Miriam Elman, executive director of the Academic Engagement Network, a nonprofit endorsing the letter, emphasized the detrimental impact of academic boycotts. “Our open letter seeks to address these harmful trends and galvanize support from the scholarly community to uphold the principles that are foundational to scholarly pursuits," Elman said.

Israel’s commitment to academic freedom and the open exchange of ideas is crucial in maintaining its vibrant intellectual community. Share this article and subscribe to our newsletter for more updates on Israel and its academic endeavors.